Britain Versus the UK: Difference between revisions

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Some people from [[Cornwall]], the south-west tip of England, with its own distinct Celtic heritage, do not identify as "English", preferring "Cornish". Tread carefully.

If you refer to a Scot or a Welshman as "British", the vast majority will just accept this is true as regards now, although the more nationalist may insist on a local term. Whatever happens, "British" is right, and "English" is not. Apart from being separated by borders, this is (as noted above) because the Scottish Highlanders and Welsh can trace their lineage back to the lands before the 'English' came. <ref> This can be a controversial view: Oppenheimer argues that Germanic people have also been here since pre-Roman times.)</ref> Native Welsh and Scottish Highlanders, plus the Irish, Manx (of the Isle of Man) and Cornish, are descended from the Celts who inhabited the isles since before the Romans, whereas the 'native' English descend mainly from the successive [[Anglo Saxons|Germanic]] (Angle, Saxon, Jutish, Frisian, Danish and Norwegian), and Norman ([[Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys|read: stinkin' French]]) conquests, and can be, and sometimes are, still viewed as "outsiders" and "invaders" by more radical nationalists in Wales or Scotland, hence ''Sassenach'', Gaelic for "Saxon" and a derogatory Scottish word for English person. <ref> It cuts both ways – the ancient Brythonic word from which ''Cymru'', the Welsh for "Wales", derived, meant 'friend'; the English term ''Wales'', though, derived from a word meaning 'enemy'!</ref> Lowland Scottish culture is also mainly of Germanic origin (south-east Scotland has been Germanic as long as England has), and the dialect, [[Scottish English|Scots]], is related to English, unlike Gaelic, which used to be the Highland language, and is still spoken in a few areas. Also, the far north of Scotland (Orkney, Shetland and part of Caithness) has a more Scandinavian heritage, but its language, Norn, died out in the 19th century (some Orcadians and Shetlanders insist they are not Scottish). Of course, time and interbreeding have long eroded the 'pure-born' of these races, and focusing on descent is a quick way to commit political suicide and get branded a racist in modern politics, even among nationalists.

If you refer to a Scot or a Welshman as "British", the vast majority will just accept this is true as regards now, although the more nationalist may insist on a local term. Whatever happens, "British" is right, and "English" is not. Apart from being separated by borders, this is (as noted above) because the Scottish Highlanders and Welsh can trace their lineage back to the lands before the 'English' came. <ref> This can be a controversial view: Oppenheimer argues that Germanic people have also been here since pre-Roman times.)</ref> Native Welsh and Scottish Highlanders, plus the Irish, Manx (of the Isle of Man) and Cornish, are descended from the Celts who inhabited the isles since before the Romans, whereas the 'native' English descend mainly from the successive [[Anglo Saxons|Germanic]] (Angle, Saxon, Jutish, Frisian, Danish and Norwegian), and Norman ([[Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys|read: stinkin' French]]) conquests, and can be, and sometimes are, still viewed as "outsiders" and "invaders" by more radical nationalists in Wales or Scotland, hence ''Sassenach'', Gaelic for "Saxon" and a derogatory Scottish word for English person. <ref> It cuts both ways – the ancient Brythonic word from which ''Cymru'', the Welsh for "Wales", derived, meant 'friend'; the English term ''Wales'', though, derived from a word meaning 'enemy'!</ref> Lowland Scottish culture is also mainly of Germanic origin (south-east Scotland has been Germanic as long as England has), and the dialect, [[Scottish English|Scots]], is related to English, unlike Gaelic, which used to be the Highland language, and is still spoken in a few areas. Also, the far north of Scotland (Orkney, Shetland and part of Caithness) has a more Scandinavian heritage, but its language, Norn, died out in the 19th century (some Orcadians and Shetlanders insist they are not Scottish). Of course, time and interbreeding have long eroded the 'pure-born' of these races, and focusing on descent is a quick way to commit political suicide and get branded a racist in modern politics, even among nationalists.

If you refer to a Republican-minded Northern Irish person as "British", you may get chewed out. If you ''fail'' to refer to a Unionist-minded Northern Irish person as "British", you may get chewed out. "Ulster" is a loaded term, being mainly used by Unionists, and giving the appearance of historic legitimacy to the province, which is rejected by Republicans, especially as it makes up only 2/3 of historic Ulster. "Ulsterman" may thus be taken as offensive by NI Republicans, or by citizens of the Republic (although, in truth, a lot of people in the Republc are less bothered by this sort of thing). "Northern Irish" is pretty neutral, although some Republicans will not use it, and insist on "the occupied six counties" or some similar formulation. Exercise maximal caution, generally.